Community-Law Enforcement Dialogues 2019

"Building trust and nurturing legitimacy on both sides of the police/citizen divide is the foundational principle underlying the nature of relations between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve."​Report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, 2015

Santa Cruz County has been selected by Everyday Democracy, a national organization that has been using the dialogues process to address community issues since 1989, to be one of two "Partner Communities" across the country!

The Dialogues will bring together people from the community, including youth, adults and law enforcement, to meet six times to talk about policing, race, and community safety. In this circle style dialogue, everyone has an equal voice, and people try to understand each others views. Participants move from relationship building to collaborative action planning. Trained local facilitators help the group move through potentially difficult conversations and ensure that the sessions end with steps for action.

​The organizing and preparation will go through the end of the year with dialogues circles commencing in early 2019.Stay tuned and follow us on Facebook for Updates! See below for more details on the process and how you can get involved.

Pilot Dialogues

" A simple dialogue can give someone a better understanding of your position on a specific topic"-Pilot dialogue series #1 Participant

Watsonville

In February 2017 the YVPT, in partnership with the Watsonville Neighborhood Workgroup, held three dialogue sessions where youth and law enforcement had the opportunity to discuss how to strengthen law enforcement- community relations. Below are findings that resulted from these sessions:​

Youth that participated in the dialogues series reported:

Increased comfort in talking to police

Increase sense of safety having police in their neighborhood

Greater willingness to report a crime

Police officers that participate in the Dialogues series reported:

Increased conscious of racial dynamics

Greater effort in interact with youth outside of conflict settings

Incorporating learning from the series in their policing

After youth/police dialogues

71% of police say they now approach policing differently

89% of youth say they would report a crime to a police officer

94% of youth say they would feel comfortable around a police officer

Purpose

The dialogues will bring together people from the community, including youth, adults and law enforcement, to meet six times to talk about policing, race, and community safety. In this circle-style dialogue everyone has an equal voice, and people try to understand each other’s views. Participants move from relationship building to collaborative action planning. Trained local facilitators help the group move through potentially difficult conversations and ensure that the sessions end with steps for action.

The Youth Violence Prevention Task Force is committed to an equitable, united, and safe county. One key strategy set forth in Turning the Curve: Youth Violence Prevention Strategic Plan is strengthening law enforcement and community relations. This strategy, which is holistic and inclusive, directly addresses issues of equity and is an important component in public safety. To address this strategy YVPT has partnered with Everyday Democracy to roll out Community Law Enforcement dialogues across the county.

"Having these conversations- with respect, trust, and listening- can lead to good changes. Change often start with police and community members understanding each other better" -Everyday Democracy. ​

Below You'll find an overall timeline of our activities

Join the conversation!There are many opportunities to participate including organizing, facilitating, circle participation, and action implementation if you feel you have a role to play in this work or know someone who does please provide your information below